Souvenirs are a wonderful reminder of vacations, and I usually like to find my remembrances through a piece of clothing, home decor or jewelry. Since I am in France I thought a perfume would be a wonderful remembrance.

I would love to have a signature scent that would make me feel like Sophia Loren lounging in an Italian cafe with bold red lips and over-sized sunglasses. However, finding “the one” has proved difficult, and after one too many headaches from sniffing perfume samples I thought I should try starting at the beginning by attending this class that would teach me how to create my own perfume from scratch.

As I walked into the studio {which is less than 5 minutes from the Eiffel Tower to further add to the ambiance} I saw the setting was perfect for a perfume creation to take place. The studio has an age-old dramatic feel with floor to ceiling windows, thick moldings and beautiful antiques.

Laid out on a large table is what looks like the ultimate display of lipsticks, but are actually every essential scent needed to create your own perfume.

The science behind mixing the amounts of each drop to create a scent is a bit intimidating, but the perfumer walks you through the different types of scents, using current perfumes as examples. She also explains how the different amounts of drops work to create a base, middle and top knots. It’s utterly fascinating and I’m convinced if chemistry had been taught via perfume I would have paid attention! By the end of class I had made my formula and created a scent that is just right for me.

Afterwards I stood in the shade of the Eiffel Tower as the fragrance enveloped me and felt like I was starring in my own film noir moment as the sky turned to dusk.